Hi, I am curious about what people on this board would advise a high school junior who is seriously interested in a career in research and/or teaching psychology. Need advice re picking undergrad school.

Obviously schools like Chicago and Brown would seem to be good places spend undergrad. But if those schools are out of reach, what about going to a place like University of Minnesota for undergrad, since it has very strong graduate psychology program? Or would an undergrad have a better chance to do psych research at an SLAC?

I'd probably go to an elite SLAC (top 20 or so in usnews, though you could definitely go a lot lower depending on the department/program). I went to an Ivy League and loved it, but I am completely sold on SLACs now for the pedagogical and even research opportunities for undergraduates. A much greater percentage of SLAC students get PhDs than do R1 students (even in the ivies).

Minnesota would be great, but the thing about big state schools is that you need to be very proactive and maybe even a bit lucky, too, to create your own opportunities, get to know professors well, get research experience. The student-faculty ratio is not great at those places for getting research experience. I know because I went to one of these for grad school. It served ME well, in that there was always an army of outstanding undergraduates ready to do research with me if I wanted, but from the undergraduate perspective I think it could be risky. So…I'd say maybe Carleton College instead.

oh all of that said, you probably ARE that kind of proactive student because you found this website and asked a bunch of experts this question. So you'd probably hack it at Minnesota. But if you can get into a good SLAC I recommend it unless there are other things you want in a university (sports/school spirit, party scene, extensive extra-curriculars, cheaper tuition (maybe), enormous breadth of courses & programs).

I second the advice about a SLAC. The opportunities for hands-on experiences and strong interaction with faculty at SLACs far exceeds what's typical at most larger institutions. That said, I'd recommend your student do some additional homework. Specifically, the student should check into the psychology department pages at the SLACs under consideration and see what research is happening. Check to make sure the faculty are actively engaged and producing research.

First, it is great that you are starting to think about these things and are asking some of the "right" questions. That said, I have a more balanced view as follows:

1) I agree with prior posters - an elite or a good SLAC is one way to go. I also agree that you need to do your homework and make sure that faculty are actively engaged in research. Not all faculty at SLACs do so, and if there are only a handful that are actively engaged in research in may be just as hard or even more difficult to get into one of those labs as it would be at an R1.

2) Another option, in my opinion of equal value, though not without trade offs, would be to attend an R1 or R2 university that has a psychology department with doctoral programs. Though there may be more students seeking out research experiences, there also are more options. I'm in an R2 doctoral department of psychology, and my lab regularly has 20 to 30 undergraduate research assistants and I always have room for bright, motivated, hard working students (nearly all of my colleagues do as well). I've also had students go on to doctoral studies in some of the top programs in various fields of psychology in the country. For example, this year, three out of three students interested in clinical psychology have multiple interviews. I think it helps their applications that they have spent 2-4 years (in most cases) working on a NIH funded project and in a high research activity lab (and spent time in the labs of some of my colleagues as well). My lab also is active in the summer, creating even more opportunities for undergraduate research assistants.

In addition, my university, and certainly others as well, has a program in which the top admitted students can start with mentored research in their freshman year, and receive funding to do so. Similarly, for the honors students in my university and department, it is much more like a good/elite SLAC experience.

At the end of the day, there will be pros/cons to any school you decide to attend. You will want to be a standout no matter where you end up, and you will want high quality research experiences. I would also add that some of those experiences should be a the area of psychology (e.g., developmental, clinical, social, neuroscience etc.) in which you plan to pursue graduate studies.

One other comment is that you might specifically look at whether the schools offer a senior thesis/honor's thesis/etc. option. I am at an elite SLAC, and all of our psychology seniors complete a senior thesis, with most of these projects being year-long empirical studies, where the student devises, conducts, interprets, writes up, and presents his or her own research study under my tutelage. Essentially, this experience mimics a first year grad school project and is a way to really "show your stuff" while still an undergrad. I, as a recommender, then also have very specific research-focused comments I can make about my students, that goes above and beyond what my (not yet senior) undergraduate research collaborators do. Most R1s have an honor's program that can allow this too, but many seniors don't do such projects at R1s. Many SLACs, on the other hand, have some sort of thesis or culminating project required of all seniors that can be a very valuable and relevant experience.

Thank you so much! Very good thoughts here. One last question - any SLACs in the Northeast or Midwest that you all would rank high on the list for research activity? Particularly in the area of gender-related research? Thanks!!!

Any of the top list of liberal arts colleges are going to require their newer faculty to engage in a high level of research. Schools like Wellesley, Amherst, Swarthmore (all NE) are going to have excellent research opportunities. You may also be able to find some schools that aren't quite as high of a tier that offer great research opportunities (e.g. Hamilton, Oberlin, Kenyon, Bucknell, Bryn Mawr, etc.). You can usually get a sense of this by looking at faculty profiles at institutions, and then ask admissions to set up a meeting or tour with a faculty member in psych who can give you a better understanding of research opportunities (the campus tour guide and general admissions folks might not have direct knowledge).

Just a word about basing your school decision on your career goals: While it is absolutely important to consider this, and there's a certain level of pragmatism to it, it has been my experience that college opens your mind to new and exciting areas of study, careers, and paths. I, personally, knew with certainty in high school that I was going to be a corporate lawyer. Well, that didn't pan out, but I did find I loved cognitive science. So, as someone who mentors undergraduates all the time on this topic, I would encourage you to keep a broad and open perspective when considering schools.